


The 'Bro'ad Trip

by 0venm1tt



Series: Bad Puns and Cute Bees [1]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/F, Fluff, Road Trips, Sentimental
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-28
Updated: 2020-08-30
Packaged: 2021-03-06 16:41:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26152075
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/0venm1tt/pseuds/0venm1tt
Summary: Done with high school, Blake and Yang fulfill their childhood promise of traveling across the country together.Of course, it's not quite so simple.Pure, unadulterated fluff and feels.
Relationships: Blake Belladonna/Yang Xiao Long
Series: Bad Puns and Cute Bees [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1904665
Comments: 19
Kudos: 65





	1. Maryland

Today was the day.

At three in the morning, Blake Belladonna awoke. Rubbing her tired eyes and dragging herself to the shower, the magnitude of what she was about to do came back to her, ever so slowly. The ‘Bro’ad Trip was about to begin.

It must have been six years ago now. Blake was talking to her best friend, Yang Xiao Long, on the last day of sixth grade, and Yang had had an idea. “Dude, what if we took a road trip when we can drive?”

“To where?”

“Doesn’t matter, I just wanna take a road trip with my best bro.” She gasped. “We can call it the ‘Bro’ad Trip!”

Blake had massaged her temples as Yang laughed at her own pun. “Y’know, I was kind of on board until you said that.”

The details of the rest of the conversation were fuzzy, but Blake and Yang never gave up on that idea. Of course, it wasn’t always perfect in practice. They had actually planned on taking the trip the year before, but Yang ended up in a car accident and broke her arm badly. She had healed now, and having finished high school, there was nothing standing in their way.

After pulling on leggings and a Grateful Dead t-shirt, Blake had a look at herself in the mirror. Her golden eyes had bags under them, and strands of her wavy, raven hair hung in front of her face, which she pushed away. A pair of cat’s ears protruded from the top of her head. Though she was routinely bullied for them throughout elementary school, Blake was grateful for them in a way, as they led to her meeting Yang for the first time. Granted, though, they only formally introduced themselves to one another once they were both done being suspended for fighting with other students who had been pulling on said ears. Taking a deep breath, Blake left her parents’ place and crept quietly down the stairs of her apartment complex. She stood in front of the building, a canvas suitcase slung over her arm. The June night air was calm and warm, and the sky was clear. Crickets and the sounds of the occasional car passing by were the only sounds, and Blake sat on a nearby bench, allowing herself to   
relax as she gazed at the stars. There was only one potential hitch with the ‘Bro’ad Trip.

Blake had a rather large crush on Yang.

It had all started the year before, on junior prom night. Blake had been asked to go by the most popular senior in school, Adam Taurus. Unfortunately, on the night of the dance, he had stood her up, and a text from him revealed that the whole thing had been no more than a prank. Yang was immediately there to console her, and the two friends had managed to enjoy the night, skipping the dance to draw penises on Adam’s car and get a pizza, all while in their best dresses. Yang had also slept over at Blake’s apartment that night, and in the wee hours of the morning as Yang snored away on an air mattress next to her, an ember flew from Blake’s heart and landed somewhere in her mind. From then on, she carried a flame for her friend, the flame only being kindled with each passing day. And even though Yang was openly gay, Blake never dared to express how she felt for fear of rejection (a desk drawer in her room contained a score of unfinished letters of confession).

A beat-up station wagon pulled into the parking lot. Its driver’s side window was rolled down, and a mass of blonde hair leaned out. “Blake, you ready?” The melodic, carefree voice of Yang spilled into the night, disturbing the calm atmosphere. The dark-haired girl stood up and walked over to the car, her legs practically jelly, opening the passenger door. She spoke in a calm, even tone, “I know that we’ve been waiting for years, but I would be remiss if I didn’t point out the stars.”

Yang got out of the car, her jaw dropping as she looked up. “Whoa…”

The sky was liberally dotted with tiny pinpricks, some so bright that it almost looked like the sky was less black than white, in spite of the new moon. She sat down on the hood of her car, leaning back against the windshield with her hands behind her head. Blake sat next to her, silently electing to join her in stargazing.

“Six whole years, dude,” Yang said, a smirk on her round face. Her lavender eyes shone as the stars reflected off of them, and an orange loose-fitting t-shirt spilled over her jean shorts. “It doesn’t even feel like it was that long ago that we came up with this, y’know?”

“It really doesn’t. But it was a fun six years all the same.”

“When the hell did we grow up, man?”

Blake didn’t know how to answer that. Yang took her phone out, and slid over to her friend. Holding it in front of them with the front facing camera on, they both grinned as Yang took a photo before standing up and getting into the driver’s seat. Once Blake was in the shotgun seat and her luggage was in the trunk, she asked, “Yang, will this thing even make it across the country?” The plan was to travel from their hometown, Patch, Maryland all the way to Atlas, California over the course of five days, and then drive all the way back.

“Of course, dude.” Yang’s tone was incredulous, but not dismissive.

“Yang, this thing looks like it’ll fall apart from a loud sneeze.” Blake’s voice now displayed clear concern.

“Look, it gets fantastic mileage. And the ‘Bro’ad Trip stops for nothing.”

“Carry on, then, but don’t say I didn’t tell you when it breaks down.”

Yang chuckled. “Fair enough for me.” She pulled onto the streets, and the ‘Bro’ad trip officially began.


	2. Ohio

Blake’s heart was racing.

It was the end of the first day, and they had stopped at Cedar Point in Ohio. Though traffic had been nightmarish, her fear came from another place altogether; Yang wanted to ride the Millenium Force.

It wasn’t exactly a surprise. Yang was an adrenaline junkie, and Blake typically stayed behind whenever any kind of intense ride was involved. It wasn’t really her thing. She preferred a nice book and some comforting music to tall drops and screaming. That said, it would be nice to try something new on the ‘Bro’ad Trip. At least, that was what she had told Yang. The blonde currently sat across from her, munching on a corn dog, much to Blake’s amazement. How could anybody stare down a three hundred foot drop and think about eating? Through a bite of breaded sausage, Yang asked, “You ready, dude?”

Blake sighed. “Not really, but it’s probably best to get it over with. Also, swallow your damn food.”

Yang swallowed. “Good, ‘cause the line’s looking really short. Let’s go.”

Everything else was a blur until they were locked into the ride. Blake gulped, and she could feel her pulse quicken and her face whiten. There was no turning back. Looking to her right, Yang had a confident, excited grin on her face, unwavering even as the cart trundled ever so slowly towards the top. They were in the front seats, and they had the most immediate view of the peak. Blake couldn’t stop herself from squeezing her eyes shut and bracing backwards as Yang raised her arms. Her stomach dropped as wind flew through her cat ears and hair, and she opened her eyes to a massive turn. As they soared across, the raven-haired girl allowed herself to enjoy the ride, and her heart went back to a normal rate as she laughed. Over the deafening roar of the track, Yang could still be heard cheering, all the way until the end of the ride. Blake stepped off, her legs unsteady. Yang grabbed her shoulder, asking, “You alright there, Blake?”

“Yeah, I’m okay.” A smile was on her face.

“Alright.” Yang snickered, and Blake didn’t see what until she looked at the ride pictures. The blonde was visibly as excited as she could be, but Blake herself had her eyes shut and her knuckles were white as they gripped the safety bars tightly. “Oh, that is just not funny, Yang.” She glared at her friend as her voice dripped with mock discontent, arms crossed as Yang began laughing harder.

“It is, though. I’m so getting this printed.”

“You had better not, or I am walking back to Patch.”

“Too late.” The glossy picture was already in Yang’s hand, and Blake flicked her ear as they walked back to the car.

A few hours later, they had gotten a hotel room near the Ohio-Indiana border. Blake sat on her bed, reading James Joyce’s Ulysses. Today had been a wonderful day, but it had also been very long and some serious relaxation was in order. Yang, apparently, felt differently, as she leaned out of the bathroom in a bright orange bikini. “Hey, they’ve got a hot tub downstairs. You wanna come with me?”

Blake’s heart began racing again, and this time it wasn’t on account of a towering roller coaster. Trying not to reveal her blush or look at her friend’s cleavage, she stammered, “Uh, sure.” Walking into the bathroom, she changed into a purple one-piece she had packed. It wasn’t that she didn’t like her body, but she did feel somewhat inadequate next to Yang, who was practically a model. Steeling her nerves, she walked out, finding Yang carrying towels. “Alright, let’s go,” she said, standing up and pulling a shirt over her top.

Yang closed her eyes as she lowered herself into the hot tub. “God damn, that’s relaxing.”

Blake slipped in across from her. “It’s not so bad.”

Yang opened her eyes about halfway. “This has gone so fuckin’ well so far, dude.” Her voice was fairly quiet, but the empty pool area made her voice reverberate off the walls.

“Mmm,” Blake hummed, letting the warmth wash over her. Yang had a point in coming down here, it was fantastic for letting go after a tiring day. “Sixth grade you was a fuckin’ genius, coming up with the ‘Bro’ad Trip.”

“Holy shit. It’s not often that Blake Belladonna compliments you.”

“Har har.” Part of Blake wished that she complimented Yang more often, but another part of her knew that if she laid it on too thick, her feelings would be apparent. If her feelings weren’t mutual, there was no way that the relationship with her best friend would ever be the same again, so for now, there was no way that Blake would tell Yang the way she felt about her. Still, one more probably couldn’t hurt. “For what it’s worth, you are an absolutely wonderful friend in every sense of the word.”

“You too, Blakey.” Yang was smiling, but for a moment, Blake could swear that there was a trace of sadness in her lilac eyes. God, whatever was wrong, she wanted to hug the blonde and tell her it was alright. Yang spoke again. “We should probably head to bed soon, we’ve got another long drive tomorrow.”

In bed, Blake laid awake for longer than she would prefer to have, especially considering that tomorrow would be another long day. But her heart hurt. Whether or not she wanted to admit it to herself, it was only a matter of time before she would have to tell Yang that she wanted to be more than friends. Especially as Yang slept. Though they were adults now, the same sense of wonder that had been there as long as they had known each other was clearly displayed on her face while she slumbered. Blake clutched a pillow that she wasn’t using. Hopefully, one day, she could hold her goofy, lovable friend in the night.


	3. Illinois

“Alright, put it in,” Yang said as she and Blake crossed the Indiana-Illinois border.

Blake, who had been holding a CD to the entrance of the car’s deck, hastily inserted it, and the music of Sufjan Stevens then filled the station wagon. It was their freshman year of high school when this particular idea came up, and it had also been the first suggestion Blake had made towards the trip. It was history class, and she’d gone up to Yang, proclaiming, “So, I have an idea for the ‘Bro’ad Trip.”

Yang had leaned on her hand, a gleeful smile on her face, which then had had an array of freckles scattered across it. “Yes?”

“Maybe we could listen to Illinois by Sufjan Stevens while we go through Illinois?”

The blonde had snapped her fingers. “That’s the kind of idea we need, dude. It’s going on the to-do list.”

Presently, Yang was tapping her fingers on the steering wheel to the rhythm as they drove through the vast expanse that was the American midwest. Every now and again, there would be trees or farmland, but for the most part, it was emerald green fields and a sky so pale that it was hardly blue. Not that anyone was necessarily complaining about the monotony. There was a distinct beauty in the way the lonely grey highway continued to unfold across the endless horizon. Throughout the trip, they had been alternating picking albums from their shared collection of CDs. From Blake’s indie rock to Yang’s hardcore punk, there was a delightful variety in soundscapes that kept them discussing music through their entire friendship. And though the likes of Minor Threat and Black Flag weren’t exactly Blake’s cup of tea, she was happy to be able to appreciate something Yang liked.

“Y’know, I’m typically not a fan of symphonic music, but this ain’t half bad,” Yang said, her eyes concealed by aviator sunglasses, a slight smile revealing the slight imprint of the dimples that the raven-haired girl loved on her face.

Blake nodded. “Glad you like it.” She looked at the map on her phone. “Are we still going to Chicago? Because it’s the next exit.”

“Oh, shit, good call.” Yang changed lanes, and within fifteen minutes, the skyscrapers of Chicago met the eyes of the pair, and the horizon became jagged for the first time since the morning, tracing the city’s silhouette. Unfortunately, the traffic slowed to a grating crawl before they could enter the city limits, prompting Yang to growl, “Who’s the cocksucker who just cut me off?” as somebody changed lanes without signaling in front of them.

“Still better than your driving in sophomore year,” Blake deadpanned.

Yang sighed. “You mix up the gas and brake pedals one time, and even two whole years later, everybody remembers…”

The album switched tracks, to ‘Casimir Pulaski Day.’ Blake smiled. “I remember when I first got into Sufjan. For the longest time, I couldn’t listen to this song without crying.”

“So far, it’s… oh.” The lyrics began. “Yeah, I can see how someone could cry to this.”

“It’s still sad, but it’s kind of bittersweet because of the nostalgia.”

Yang let her sunglasses fall to the tip of her nose and turned to Blake. “Don’t even say that word, dude, or I’ll start crying.” Yang’s tone was jovial, but there wasn’t any hint of a joke in her eyes, and the dimples were gone from her round face. Blake’s smile faded. “Are you… okay, Yang?” She hoped her tone wasn’t too overly concerned, not wanting to come across as condescending or patronizing.

“Yeah, I’ll live.” Yang’s voice was still as upbeat as ever, and she pushed her sunglasses back up onto the bridge of her nose and looked back at the road. “Ah, traffic’s clearing up.”

The rest of the day was spent roaming the streets of the heart of America, much to Yang’s delight. She had always wanted to try Chicago-style deep dish pizza, and Blake’s heart nearly melted when she saw Yang grin uncontrollably as she chewed the first bite. At the bean in Millenium Park, the blonde made sure to take a photo of the warped reflection of her and her friend, arms around each other’s distorted shoulders. To end the day, they sat on a bench in the evening watching the sun set over Lake Michigan. When they went back to the car, it hit Blake how tired she was. Though she wasn’t sleep-deprived, her entire body was just exhausted and sore. She closed her golden eyes, and the last thing she heard before drifting off was Sufjan Stevens crooning, “All things go, all things go.”

Waking up in a groggy haze, Blake realized that the music had been changed to Elliott Smith, her favorite singer. The words “I’m never gonna know you now, but I’m going to love you anyhow,” poured into her feline ears as they twitched. Something was off, though. It wasn’t only Elliott’s usual whisper; there was a distinctly feminine voice as well. She rubbed her eyes. “Yang? Were you just singing?”

“Hm? Oh, uh, yeah. Sorry if I woke you up.” She sounded sheepish, almost uncharacteristically.

“It’s fine. It didn’t sound bad or anything.”

“Hey, thanks, dude. Who would have known that the ‘Bro’ad Trip would net me three whole compliments from you?”

Blake rolled her eyes. Yang continued, “It’s a convenient time for you to wake up, anyway. We’ll be at the next hotel in like, five minutes.”

As Blake laid in the hotel bed that night, she reflected on the day. Sooner or later, she would have to ask Yang what was really going on. Though she recognized that her friend was enjoying herself, every day seemed to reveal another facet of her sadness. Yang snored incredibly loudly. Blake turned over. How could somebody so ridiculously loud sing so delicately? As she drifted back into a deep sleep, a part of her fantasized that Yang had sung that last lyric directly to her.


	4. Kansas

Being from Maryland, the idea of crossing an entire state taking more than two or three hours to cross was still new to Blake. However, they had been driving through Kansas for hours, and the scenery was still the same as it had ever been: farmland and fields. Granted, the sky was a lovely baby blue, but there was only so long one could look at it without experiencing boredom. The optimistic smile that Yang had starting the day with had faded, and she, too, looked bored out of her skull. She wore an orange infinity scarf and a red flannel shirt, which, when combined with her bushy yellow hair that fell to her waist, provided a palette of the warmest of colors. She asked, “Blake, how many more miles until we’re out of this state?”

Blake checked the map. “About three hundred,” she said with a groan.

Yang grimaced. “You did not just say three hundred, dude.”

Blake solemnly nodded. “So, we have about five more hours to kill.”

“Are there any tourist attractions? Even the boring ones are fine, just as long as we can walk around.”

“Lemme check.” A quick Google search provided a wealth of tourist traps along the way, the most appealing of which was a new haunted house just outside of Wichita. “Ooh, a haunted house mixed with an escape room.” If Yang was a junkie for thrill rides, then Blake was addicted to horror. While she waited for the blonde on roller coasters, oftentimes she would visit scary attractions that her friend would, in turn, opt not to enter.

Yang sighed. “Well, if it’ll make my ass less sore, then sure.”

A full hour and an entire Converge album went by before they made it to the haunted house. The owner was a bald man wearing a tuxedo, and he was incredibly proficient at constructing atmosphere, if the flickering fluorescent lights in the concrete entrance were anything to go by. Yang’s face was white as a ghost, fear as clear as day in her eyes. Hoping that she wasn’t blushing, Blake reached over and squeezed her hand. Yang gripped her hand tightly, and the dark-haired girl silently resolved to be ready for her crush.

“Alright, you have half an hour to escape. Remember, at any point, you are allowed to call it quits. Best of luck to you both.” The owner handed both of them flashlights before closing the door behind them. A timer on the wall began counting down from thirty minutes, and they both turned on their flashlights. The grey concrete of the entrance hall carried over to the room, and odd symbols were written on them. No ceiling lights were present, a desk (upon which a computer terminal sat) and a filing cabinet were on the opposite side of the room, and a large window appeared to be blacked out. Yang gulped, and said, “So, is this how you felt on Millenium Force?”

“Probably.”

Twenty minutes later, they had deciphered that the password to the computer terminal was “ROSWELL.” It revealed that the key to the file cabinet was hidden under a bed in the other room (which was no longer obscured), and the window was retracted at the same time.

“Okay,” said Blake. “So, one of us is going in there.”

Yang touched her nose. “Not it.”

“Motherfucker,” said Blake in a somewhat sarcastic tone. She inched her way towards the bed, and as Yang watched on, she began to sing, voice quivering, “Don’t worry, about a thing.” Blake picked up the key as her friend continued. “Every little thing, is gonna be alright.”

Not a moment after she said that, muffled screaming and banging came from the other side of the wall Blake was nearest to. She ran wildly back to Yang, and she immediately opened the cabinet, which contained a note that read, “Shave and a haircut.” Knocking on the door in that rhythm prompted it to open. The owner congratulated them on their victory enthusiastically, saying, “We have a gift shop right back there.” After purchasing matching t-shirts reading, ‘I beat Wichita’s scariest escape room, and all I got was a lousy t-shirt,’ the opportunity to take a photo together wearing them proved too great to resist.

Back on the road, Blake steered the car down the Kansas freeway. She had offered to drive, allowing Yang to catch up on some much-needed sleep. They were only half an hour away from the Kansas-Colorado border when she woke up, and the sky was black as pitch (though clouds obscured the stars). “Jeez, dude, how long was I out?”

“About three or four hours.”

“Ah, damn it. I don’t want to miss the ‘Bro’ad Trip.”

“Unless you were really looking forward to cornfields, you didn’t miss anything.”

Yang wordlessly turned her head to the side. Blake pulled over into a gas station as the fuel tank drifted towards being empty. When she got out of the station wagon, Yang stepped out as well, and she leaned against the driver’s side of the car. She asked quietly, “Can I drive again?”

“You need rest, Yang.”

“Blake, I feel like if I miss any of the ‘Bro’ad trip, I’m gonna regret it for the rest of my life.”

“Look, we’ll change the plan a little bit. There’s a motel twenty miles down the road, we can stop there and you can be back behind the wheel tomorrow.”

Yang sighed. “Fine.”

Blake lay awake in bed again that night. She felt guilty for how she was treating Yang. Between taking her to a horror place and now preventing her from fully enjoying an event that she had worked a third of her life planning, it didn’t feel like she was being a good friend, let alone a good potential partner. Tomorrow, once the blonde was awake, she was going to apologize, and hopefully figure out what was bringing her down. Blake felt hopeless when it came to Yang and her feelings.


	5. New Mexico

The most daunting part of the ‘Bro’ad Trip drew closer.

It was the first ever stop that they had ever agreed on, on a brisk summer night some six years ago. They were sleeping outdoors in a tent, and Yang turned to Blake and enthusiastically said, “Blake, we should camp on the ‘Bro’ad Trip!”

“Yang, I still don’t know about that name.”

“Well, it’s not changing. C’mon, dude, it’ll be just like this.” They were in sleeping bags, and a solitary flashlight pointed at the underside of Yang’s chin was their light source. The night air was cool, and it  
was one of Blake’s fondest memories.

Now, having left Kansas (at long last), camping would be the final stop before California. They were done cutting through Colorado and were in New Mexico, where they would stay the night at campgrounds outside of Santa Fe. The station wagon flew down the freeway, fields and farmland now replaced with desert. Heavy metal blasted out of the stereo (at Yang’s request), and sagebrush dotted the scarlet sand. Blake said to Yang, “I’m really sorry about last night.”

“What do you mean?” Her voice was confused.

“You were right. I shouldn’t have chastised you for wanting to experience the trip.”

“Don’t even worry about it, dude. Yesterday was pretty awesome.”

“Even with the escape room?”

“That was the best part. I liked facing my fear with you.” Yang’s tone was as upbeat as ever, and Blake immediately felt reassured. How could she have been anxious over something so insignificant in the grand scheme of their friendship? Yang spoke again, “Sometimes I worry about you, Blakey.”

“How come?”

“You worry an awful lot.”

“You don’t have to worry. I’ll be fine.” Blake almost laughed at herself for saying that. She wouldn’t be fine, as long as the dilemma of how she felt about Yang hung over her head. If she didn’t tell Yang, then it would continue to eat away at her for as long as she could foresee. If she did, then there were two possible outcomes. Either Yang didn’t reciprocate (in which case, their friendship would be forever tarnished) or she did (but that was a massive gamble). The blonde was drumming her fingers on the leather of the steering wheel, tapping out the rhythm of “Gardenia” by Kyuss. Blake said, “This has been the most fun I’ve ever had,” hoping it would put her friend at ease.

“Me too, dude.” The car ride continued until they reached Santa Fe in the evening, taking a turn off into a forested area. The reds and oranges of the New Mexican sands turned into lush greens not unlike the woods of Patch, and an open field overlooking a lake met their eyes as Yang parked. Setting up the tent and campfire was practically second nature to them, and within ten minutes, they were sitting in lawn chairs overlooking the lake around the fire. Blake looked over at Yang. A white baseball cap sat atop her head, her bushy hair practically spilling out of it, and she wore a black hoodie from Patch High and jeans. Leaning forwards, she toasted a trio of marshmallows on a long fork, waiting until they were completely charred black before putting them between the other fixings of a s’more.  
“Yang, that is absolutely disgusting.”

Through a bite, Yang said, “Oh, come on. You used to eat s’mores with raw marshmallows.”

“Better than burnt marshmallows.”

“Joke’s on you, this makes the marshmallow a liquid.”

“Ew.” Their Bluetooth speaker changed tracks, and “Obstacle 1” by Interpol came on. The friends continued to rib each other over their marshmallows, but Yang’s face kept losing its glow as the song continued. As the lyric, “It’s different now that I’m poor and aging, I’ll never see this place again,” played, Yang stopped talking altogether, her smile completely evaporated.

“Are you okay?” Blake asked. She was starting to realize that Yang was only becoming sadder as the trip went on, and continued. “It’s totally okay if you aren’t.”

Yang blinked. “Yeah, I’m good.” She reached into the cooler, and pulled out a pair of beer bottles. “You want one?”

Blake shrugged. “Might as well.” The beers were from the Golden Dragon Company, owned by Yang’s father. While she found the taste of beer repulsive, the dark-haired girl didn’t mind getting slightly tipsy, especially if Yang was with her. Yang’s smile was already back, and as if it had never disappeared in the first place, she said, “I’m actually pretty glad that I’ll be working with my dad.” She wasn’t planning on going to college. Rather, she would work with her dad at the brewery.

“Is that even legal?”

“Technically, yes. At least, the work I’ll be doing for the next few years is, 'cause it's paperwork.”

“Fair enough.” They kept drinking as evening turned to night, the sky a deep cobalt against the soft orange glow of the sun. A few minutes later, it became incredibly cold, betraying the expected weather of late June. Blake shivered, regretting her decision to wear a crop top. Rifling through her suitcase, she muttered, “God damn it.”

“What’s wrong?” Yang called out.

“I forgot to pack a sweater,” Blake called back.

“Oh, I’ll give you mine.” She took off her hoodie and tossed it to Blake, revealing her orange tank top. “Try not to stare,” she quipped, winking in an exaggerated fashion.

“Very funny,” said a sarcastic Blake, slipping into the hoodie, immediately enveloped by its warmth (and the distinct smell of Yang’s shampoo). This warmth extended to her sleeping bag, where she wore the hoodie to sleep. With the blonde’s sleeping bag pressed against hers, it was impossible to not feel secure. In two more states, the ‘Bro’ad Trip would have reached its climax, with two friends from a small Maryland town driving across the country in a matter of five days. Without a doubt, there would be no better time for Blake to confess her feelings to Yang.


	6. California

“We made it, dude.”

After driving through Arizona, they had made it to the ‘Bro’ad Trip’s final destination before the return to Patch: Long Beach, California. Unlike Maryland’s beaches, the water was comfortably warm. The ocean and sky were the same shade of clear blue, and palm trees sprouted from the edge of the pale sand.

“Mmm.” Blake hummed. She and Yang were swimming in the ocean, content to let the waves bob them up and down. Miniscule fish darted by them, occasionally brushing their legs in their hurry. Something about being underwater was relaxing to Blake, although that might have been the soreness in the entire lower half of her body screaming for some relief from sitting in the car. Amusingly, a large portion of Yang’s hair floated freely among the water, spreading out behind her like a cloak. Blake smirked, and Yang rolled her eyes. “Yeah, laugh it up. It takes some real skill to keep hair this long.”

It wasn’t until the tide began to come in with the rising of the moon that they left the beach. Yang looked positively radiant as far as Blake was concerned, her flowy white sundress reflecting the moonlight along with her eyes. They stopped at a seafood restaurant for dinner, electing to sit near the window for a view of the ocean. As Blake ate her salmon, she couldn’t help but notice that Yang was more or less picking at her crab legs. Blake asked, “You feeling alright?” It was highly uncharacteristic of Yang to eat small amounts of food, and this worried the dark-haired girl.

“Yeah, I’m just not that hungry.” Yang’s voice sounded empty, a far cry from her enthusiasm at the start of the journey. Once they were out of the public eye, Blake would have to ask what was wrong.

At night, the friends were in their hotel room. The television was on, playing a rerun of some shitty sitcom. Yang was out on their balcony, and Blake was reading. Marking her page, she got up. It was time to talk to her friend. She opened the sliding door, and immediately, the sound of crying hit her ears. Yang turned around, and Blake’s heart promptly broke. Tears ran down her face, and her lavender eyes were bloodshot and filled with despair. She turned back around, continuing to cry. Blake wrapped her arms around her waist from behind, hoping that the contact would help, but Yang only sobbed harder.

“Yang, what’s really going on?” Blake knew that Yang would know that she was referring to her sadness throughout the trip.

“I don’t know if I can go home, Blake.” Yang’s voice shook.

“What do you mean?”

“I feel like if we go back to Patch now, it’ll be the end of our friendship.” Yang laughed bitterly. “And I know that that sounds stupid, but it happens, you know? You’re going off to college, I’m not, we’re probably gonna drift apart. It happens to so many people after high school…”

Blake’s stomach tied itself in a knot. This whole time, Yang had been worried about losing her. “Yang…”

“I can’t live without you, dude. You’re too good of a friend to leave behind.”

Blake tightened her grip. “I’ll do everything I can to make sure that we’re always there for each other. You’re the best friend I’ll ever have, Yang. I…” Everything she had been feeling came to mind. Even if they did grow apart from each other, it seemed impossible to Blake that anyone could ever make her heart soar the way Yang did. From the way the dimples formed when she smiled, to the way her eyes twinkled in the light, to the way she could always improve any situation they were in, there was no doubt that what Blake felt for Yang was truly special. Deciding to throw all caution to the wind, she pressed her cheek against Yang’s back, blood rising to her face as her heart beat out of her chest. “I have feelings for you. You make me happier than anyone, and I didn’t know that I even liked girls until I-”

Yang abruptly turned around and hugged her in return, and Blake’s cat ears twitched in surprise. “I’m in love with you, Blake Belladonna. I’ve been in love with you ever since… shit, I don’t even know how long it’s been. But I know that what I feel for you is so, so much more than just friendship.” She let go of Blake. “Oh, shit. I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t have said that.” She sniffled, her crying reduced to a few tears running down her cheeks.

Blake reached her thumbs up to wipe away the tears. “Love is the deepest form of caring about someone. If that doesn’t sum up how I feel about you, I don’t know what does.”

They held each other’s arms, and as if by some unseen force, they moved forwards and kissed each other’s lips cautiously. Yang’s lips were beyond soft, and everything the two had ever done together flashed before Blake’s eyes. It all led up to kissing in the moonlight, and it was as lovely as could be. As the new couple pulled apart, Yang smiled warmly. “Let’s stay in California for a few more days."

Blake smiled back. “I’d like that.”

Climbing into Blake’s bed, they arranged themselves so that Blake’s head was nestled snugly under Yang’s chin, their arms and legs entwined like rope strands. Periodically, Yang would kiss the top of Blake’s head, directly between her cat ears, and in response, she would nuzzle the base of her neck, her chin tantalizingly close to her lover’s breasts. Yang whispered, “If you gave me a hickey, would that be called a cat-nip?”

Blake sighed. Though the joke was abysmal, it signified something important to her. Though they were distinctly in love, they were still the best of friends, rife with banter.

And that was the best possible outcome of the ‘Bro’ad Trip.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's that.
> 
> If anyone's interested, I might write a fluffy follow-up.


End file.
